Know Who Can Save You

The prodigal son knew who could save him. He knew that his father was in a position to help him.

Luke 15:18-19 NKJV
“I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me one of your hired servants.’ ”

The woman with the alabaster box knew who could save her. She had heard Jesus speak before and she knew the message of salvation and hope that He brought. She knew His repetition and that He welcomed everyone into the kingdom of God. Who knows, maybe she had even heard about the woman ‘caught’ in adultery or the woman at the well.
Esther knew who could save her and her people. She knew that the king held the power to save them.

Esther 4:16 NKJV
“Go gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My
maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”

We must know who can save us. Jesus is the only way we can be saved. It is only through His blood that our sins are washed away.

John 14:6 NKJV
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Romans 10:9 NKJV
“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Acts 16:31 NKJV
“So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

The Returning King

 

Many people gladly embrace Jesus as a baby in a manger, but they fail to see Him as a returning King.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NKJV

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 NKJV

“But concerning the times and the seasons brethren, you have no need that I should write you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are the sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”

Many love all the trappings of Christmas holidays, but they do not respect or reverence Jesus as the Son of God and the returning King. These people will put on a mask and play the part of being religious for all to see while lacking a relationship with God.

Mark 7:6-8 NKJV

“He answered and said to them, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men – the washing of pictures and cups, and many other such things you do.”

Isaiah 29:13 NKJV

“Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandments of men”

Jesus referred to those who were religious as whitewashed tombs.

Matthew 23:25-26 NKJV

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.”

Dear Father,

Thank-you for Your Word which tells us that Jesus will return for us. May we acknowledge that Jesus is our returning King, the King of Kings, in everything we say and do. May we not be found asleep when Jesus returns. By the power of the Holy Spirit, cause us to be watchful and sober. May we never get so caught up with the trappings of Christmas that we fail to respect and reverence Jesus as Your Son and as our returning King. Remove all the religious masks and cause us to seek an intimate relationship with You. May we truly honor You with our hearts and not just our lips – let us cling to Your commandments and shun the empty traditions of men.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

The Baby Grew Up

Thousands and thousands will gather and sing about Jesus’ birth, but will reject His authority. They adore Him as an infant, but ignore that He came to take their punishment for their sin. They reject the true meaning of the cross. The majority of the people in this world are happy to let Jesus be a baby in a manger, but not willing to acknowledge that He is the Son of God, the second person in the trinity.

John 3:16 NKJV

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Matthew 3:17 NKJV

“And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ ”

John 1:18 NKJV

“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bossom of the Father, He has declared Him.”

1 John 4:9-10 NKJV

“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Matthew 17:5 NKJV

“While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

 

Dear Father,

As we gather and sing about Jesus’ birth, may we truly accept His authority. As we adore Him as an infant, may the reality that He came to take our punishment for our sin burn deep within us. May we embrace the true meaning of the cross. By the power of the Holy Spirit, may we never be happy to let Jesus just be a baby in a manger – may we acknowledge that He is the Son of God, the second person in the trinity.

In Jesus’ name, Amen

 

 

Prayer, Praise & Worship As Seen Through The Tabernacle

The tabernacle was the center of worship to God by the people of Israel while wandering through the desert. It was a tent-like structure that stood within a court enclosed by linen curtains. The tabernacle consisted of three parts: the outer court, the holy place and the holy of holies.

The first part of the tabernacle was the outer court.

The outer court was a place of sacrifice and a place of cleansing. The priest ministered to the people, and prepared themselves to minister to the Lord in the outer court.

Self-examination is critical to our relationship with God. If we are allowing sin to stay in our lives God will not hear our cries.

When we come before God and confess our sins to Him, He will forgive us.

When we ask Him to give us clean hands and a pure heart He will.

When we come to Him with a broken heart He is near.

When we bring to Him the sacrifice of a broken spirit and contrite heart, He will accept it.

Psalm 24:3-4 NKJV

“Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?

Or who may stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,

Nor sworn deceitfully.”

Job 22:30 NKJV

“He will even deliver one who is not innocent;

Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.”

Ephesians 1:7 NKJV

“In Him we have redemption through His blood,

the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”

Psalm 51:17 NKJV

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

A broken and a contrite heart –

These, O God, You will not despise.”

Psalm 34:18 NKJV

“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,

And saves such as have a contrite spirit.”

 

God desires that all people delivered from captivity (sin) would be priests unto Him.

Exodus 19:3-6 NKJV

“And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountains, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles‘ wings and brought you to Myself.

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.

And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

Because of disobedience and sin, not all of the people were allowed to become priests that ministered unto Him. God chose the tribe of Levi to minister unto Him. That is why it is so important for you to examine yourself on a continual basis and especially if you want to minister to the Lord.

Deuteronomy 10:8 NKJV

“At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister to Him, and to bless in His name, to this day.”

The second part of the tabernacle was the holy place.

The Holy Place was the first part of the tabernacle that was hidden by a tent. In the holy place the priests ministered unto the Lord by burning a sweet smelling incense. The incense that was burned in the holy place represents praise, worship and prayer rising up to God as a sweet smelling incense.

 

Psalm 141:2 NKJV

“Let my prayer be set before You as incense,

the lifting of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”

As Zacharias was burning incense before God, and receiving the elements on the table of showbread, he was having an intimate relationship with God.

It was during this time that God performed a miracle in his life – God meet Zacharias’ need during his ministry unto God. God can and will do the same thing today. God wants to minister to us just like He did Zacharias in the Holy Place. God wants to meet our needs, but first, we must minister to Him.

Hebrews 13:15 NKJV

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”

We were chosen by God to be a priest. We were chosen to be His own special people. As a priest we are to proclaim His praises. We are to offer up sacrifices of praise.

1 Chronicles 16:29 NKJV

“Give to the Lord the glory due His name;

Bring an offering, and come before Him.

Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!”

Psalm 134:2 NKJV

“Lift up your hands in the sanctuary

And bless the Lord.”

Psalm 103:2 NKJV

“Bless the Lord, O my soul; and forget not all His benefits.”

1 Chronicles 16:29 NKJV

“Give thanks to the Lord, the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!”

The third part of the tabernacle was the holy of holies.

The Holy of Holies was the second part of the tabernacle that was hidden by a tent. It was there the very presence of God came to dwell. Once a year the high priest went into this part of the tabernacle on behalf of the people and God communicated with him.

Ezekiel 44:17-18 NKJV

“And it shall be, whenever they enter the gates of the inner court, that they put on linen garments, no wool shall come upon them while they minister within the gates of the inner court or within the house. They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen trousers on their bodies; they shall not clothe themselves with anything that causes sweat.”

When the priest went in to minister to God, it had to be the way that God had instructed them. The priest could not enter any way he liked. There was a certain way to enter then and now.

Today, God does not communicate with us only one time a year. He communicates with us all the time in our spirit.

At the moment of the death of Jesus, the veil between the holy place and the most holy place was torn into. From that moment on we all have access to the Father through the Son. Each believer became a priest at Calvary.

1 Peter 2:9 NKJV

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

As a priest we can go before God in prayer on behalf of our needs and the needs of others. When we join with others in prayer our prayers become even stronger.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 NKJV

“Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.

And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

 

Who Do You Say I Am?

Matthew 16:13-15 NKJV

“When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Whodo men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, someElijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?”

To truly worship Jesus, we must acknowledge Jesus’ relationship with the Father, the sacrifice He paid and who He is.

One definition of worship is to ascribe value to someone or something. You only value what you acknowledge as valuable. How can a person worship, ascribe value to, Jesus if you do not know who He is? Or what agony He suffered for them?

We must acknowledge Jesus’ relationship with the Father:

Jesus is the Son of God and He is the only way to the Father.

John 3:16 NKJV

““For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

John 14:6 NKJV

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

John 14:9-11 NKJV

“Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not know Me, Phillip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the work. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.”

John 17:21 NKJV

“That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; That they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

We must acknowledge Jesus’ sacrifice:

Jesus’ entire life centers around sacrifice and pleasing the Father. Jesus’ attention was not on the pain and agonies of the Cross, but on the joy that it would bring the Father. Jesus focused on the reward instead of the suffering.

Hebrews 12:2 NKJV

“looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We must acknowledge Jesus for who He is:

To truly reverence Jesus you must know who He is. Reverence is a feeling of deep respect mixed with wonder, awe, and love. When you reverence someone you will have great respect for them. We must worship Jesus for who He is.

Matthew 16:13-19 NKJV

“When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Dear Father,

By the power of the Holy Spirit, cause me to always remember, and be thankful for, the sacrifice that Jesus, Your Son, paid for me. All the agony He suffered was for me personally. Through Jesus’ sacrifice I have access to You and my relationship with You has been restored. I have been given a new and everlasting life. May I follow Jesus’ example and focus on the reward instead of the suffering in all situations and circumstances. May I grow in reverence for You, O Lord.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Admitting, Believing, Confessing, and Forsaking

Everyone that experiences true salvation will be received by God. True repentance is being sorry for doing wrong (for going against God), not being sorry that you were caught doing wrong. If we are truly sorry that we have sinned and we go to Jesus for forgiveness, we will receive forgiveness.

Admit

Everyone who wants to receive salvation must admit that they have sinned.

Romans 3:23 NKJV

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Believe

Everyone who wants to receive salvation must believe in Jesus Christ.

Acts 16:31 NKJV

“So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ ”

* They must believe that Jesus is the Son of God (the deity of Jesus Christ).

* They must believe that Jesus came to this earth through a virgin birth.

* They must believe that Jesus lived a sinless life while here on earth.

* They must believe that Jesus died on the cross, and that His blood was shed for the remission of their sins.

* They must believe that Jesus rose from the grave, that He is alive in heaven and that He will return to earth again.

Confess

Everyone who wants to receive salvation must confess their sin to God. Today we have direct access to God through Jesus, therefore we do not have to confess our sin to a priest or another person. We can go directly to God with our confession.

1 John 1:9 NKJV

”If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Forsake

Everyone who wants true salvation must forsake their sin. Once you have experienced the full knowledge of Christ and His salvation, do not turn back. Knowledge of Christ without obedience to Christ can be very dangerous. It is not enough to know that we are to turn from evil, we must do it. Don’t return to your old (sinful) ways.

2 Peter 2:20-22 NKJV

“For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning,

For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and, ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

God takes the commitment that we make when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior very serious. Once we become part of the kingdom of God we are not to look back, or to return to our old ways.

Luke 9:62 NKJV

“But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

You Are What You See

 

What are you allowing to enter into your mind and heart through your eyes?

Luke 11:34-36 NKJV

“The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.
If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”

You must be careful what you set before your eyes. In other words, you must be very careful what you allow into your mind and heart through your eyes.

Psalm 101:3-4 NKJV

“I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness.”

Like David, we must hate what God hates and love what God loves. One definition of hate is to have a strong distaste for something. God does not like or approve of wickedness (evil), nor should we.

A person cannot be intimate with God and intimate with wickedness at the same time. If we want a close relationship with God we must have a clean heart.

Dear Father,

By the power of the Holy Spirit help me to set nothing wicked before my eyes. Keep me from a perverse heart and remove all wickedness from me. Cause me to hate what You hate and to love what You love. May I not embrace evil or evil people. Help me to be full of light and to have no part in darkness.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Guard Your Passion

The Holy Spirit desires to deposit a fiery passion within you. This passion will enable you to minister in His power under His anointing. The Holy Spirit’s anointing, power and gifts are very precious and should carefully be guarded. Anything that contaminates the Spirit’s flow in our lives hinders the work of His gifts and power through us. It will also effect our passion for Jesus.

GUARD WHAT HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED TO YOU

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit will help to guard against unsound teachings. Like Timothy, we need to carefully guard and hold fast to what the Lord had entrusted to us.

2 Timothy 1:13-14 NKJV

“Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.”

1 Timothy 6:20 NKJV

“O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge”

We must remain committed to the truth that God has taught us through His Holy Spirit and His Word. You must know what you believe and why. Over time compromise, false teaching, or a watered down gospel may try to creep into your life if you fail to remain steadfast. These things (compromise, false teaching, or a watered down gospel) will have a negative impact on your passion for Jesus.

 

GUARD YOUR HEART

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit will help guard your heart. Out of our hearts flow the living waters of the Holy Spirit.

Proverbs 4:23 NKJV

“Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”

Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the living water flowing from within our lives.

John 7:37-39 NKJV

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

Just as we must guard the purity of fresh drinking water, not allowing anything to contaminate it, so we must guard our hearts. One definition of pure is not mixed with anything else. Our hearts cannot be filled with the things of the world and the things of God at the same time. Be careful to let nothing contaminate your life. Be holy, set apart for God.

Matthew 12:34 NKJV

“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

As a person thinks in his heart, so is he. We must be careful with what we see and hear because thoughts get into our hearts through our eyes and ears. When you take ungodly things into Your mind and allow them to settle in your heart it will lead to actions that can put out the flame of your heart’s passion for Jesus.

Matthew 15:18-19 NKJV

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”

　

Dear Father,

By the power of the Holy Spirit help me to guard my heart’s passion for Jesus. May I be careful to hold fast to what You have entrusted to me and remain committed to the truth that You have taught me through Your Holy Spirit and Your Word. Help me to guard against compromise, false teaching, and a watered down gospel. May I keep my heart with all diligence. I desire to be set apart for You. Help me to be careful with what I allow into my heart.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Love Begins With God

1 John 4:19 NKJV

“We love Him because He first loved us.”

Love must begin somewhere and it began with God. God loves you because He chooses to love you. It is a decision He has made. None of us deserve God’s love, still He chooses to love us. Because of God’s love for us, we can love Him. Love can be described as a feeling of great affection that causes us to give to and do things for another person. God showed His love for us in a wonderful way. He gave the most precious gift that He could give – His own Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus died to take away our punishment for sin forever. Believing and acting upon this truth about Jesus allows us to become part of God‘s family. When we believe on Jesus, He changes our hearts. God pours His love into our hearts and that love overflows to others. It is through the power of His love that we can love Him and others.

 

I. Love Of God

Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV

“The Lord has appeared of old to me , saying:

‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;

Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you…’ ”

God’s love for us goes on and on. It has no end and it will never stop. His love is everlasting and it will continue throughout eternity. There is nothing that we can do or say that would make God love us more or less. He loves us with an unconditional love. God is like a loving parent who speaks with fatherly affection to his children, even when they are disobedient. God loves us just like we are but He loves us too much to leave us the way that we are. His desire is that everyone will be saved. However, the choice is ours and ours alone to make. Since God’s love for us is everlasting, if we turn away from Him He longs for us to return. We must always remember that God loves the sinner, but He hates their sin. His desire for the person that has backslidden to repent and to return to Him.

 

Jeremiah 3:14 NKJV

“Return, O backsliding children,’ says the Lord; ‘for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.’ ”

II. Love For God

Matthew 22:37 NKJV

“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

One day the Pharisees gathered around Jesus to ask Him some questions. They had hoped to catch Jesus in a lie or untruth in some way. They did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God and they wanted to prove it to all the people. One of the Pharisees, a lawyer, asked Jesus what was the greatest commandment. He was testing Jesus to see how much He really knew about the Law of Moses. Jesus answered him by quoting the greatest Jewish confession of faith called the Shema. It means that we are to love the Lord with our whole being – our heart, our soul, and our mind.

 

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NKJV

“Hear, O Israel: ‘The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

Require means to have need for, need, want, command, order, or demand. God requires for each one of us to love Him.

 

Deuteronomy 10:12 NKJV

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Loving God is not something that we have to “work at”. God Himself will work in our hearts so that we will love Him. He will cause us to be totally devoted to Him. The more we get to know God the more we love Him. Also, the more we know God, the more we will want to know Him.

 

Deuteronomy 30:6 NKJV

“And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.”

III. Love For Others

John 13:34 NKJV

“A new commandment I give you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

We are to choose to love others – not because of who they are or how they act. Rather, we are to choose to love them because of God’s love for us. People naturally love themselves. Since we love ourselves we are concerned about our welfare and we want the best for ourselves. According to the commandment in Lev 19:18 we are to love others the same way that we love ourselves. We should also be concerned about their welfare and we should also want the best for them.

 

Matthew 22:39 NKJV

“And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

When we love others the way that God wants us to others will know that we are disciples of Christ. God’s love for us is unconditional and our love for others should also be unconditional.

John 13:34-35 NKJV

“A new commandment I give you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Leviticus 19:18 NKJV

“You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudges against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

Our love for others will flow out of our love for God. They go hand in hand. If we don’t love others we really don’t love God. God has commanded us to love others.

 

1 John 4:20-21 NKJV

“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.’ ”

1 John 5:1-2 NKJV

“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandment.”

IV. Our Obedience Shows Our Love

John 14:15 NKJV

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

Our obedience to God shows our love for God. If we truly love God we will obey Him and His commandments. When we love God we will personally know God. When a person does not obey God it shows a lack of personal knowledge of God therefore, it also shows a lack of love for and to God.

 

1 John 5:3 NKJV

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”

God’s love demands obedience. However, God’s commandments are not hard to bear, heavy, or oppressive. In reality God’s commandments bring freedom, liberty, and privileges to the believer. As we obey God’s commandments we reflect the image of God.

Dear Father,

Thank-you for first loving me and for giving me the most precious gift that You could give. Thank-you for changing my heart and filling me with Your love. May I love You with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my mind. May I know You more and more. By the power of the Holy Spirit, fill me with a love for others. Cause me to desire to obey You and Your commandments.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Satisfy Your Thirst

 

Jesus Declares That He Will Give Living Water

John 7:37 NKJV

“On the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.’ ”

Shemini Atzert, is the eighth day that was added to the Feast of Tabernacles during the time of Ezar. This day became known as “The Great Day of the Feast.” On this day the High Priest would pour water from the pool of Siloam into a basin at the foot of the alter. The water was a symbol of God’s Spirit. During the temple times the custom was to draw from the Siloam springs a “libation” to accompany the offerings. This was done with great rejoicing and expressions of thanksgiving.

It was on the eighth day that Jesus told the people if they were thirsty to come to Him and drink. Jesus declared Himself to be the source of the spring, that He was the source of living water.

John 7:37-38 NKJV

“On the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scriptures has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”

Jesus told the people that were gathered, as the High Priest poured water from the pool of Siloam into the basin, that if they believed in Him, rivers of living water would flow out of them. By this Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit. The water the High Priest would pour out was just a symbol of God’s Spirit but Jesus offered them the real thing, the Holy Spirit (rivers of living water). In the natural realm when a person is thirsty they have a desire or need for a drink. They have a strong desire to quench their thirst. The same is true in the spiritual realm. When we are spiritually thirsty we have a need for living water. Jesus invites every person that is thirsty to go to Him, the only One that can truly satisfy their thirst.

Water Satisfies

Nothing tastes as good as a big drink of cold water when a person is thirsty. The water will only satisfy you for a while. Soon you will need another drink of water. The Bible tells us that Jesus can give us a drink of water that will last forever. Not water that comes out of a faucet or a bottle, but a special kind of water. Jesus can give us the water of everlasting life. The life that Jesus offers constantly satisfies. We can have this “living water” by believing that Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the world.

The Woman At The Well

Jesus and His disciples visited a city in Samaria. Jesus was a Jew and usually Jews and Samaritans did not like each other. Many Jews would travel far out of their way to avoid going through Samaria. But Jesus loved the Samaritans, so He took His disciples to visit them. Just outside the city, Jesus sat down to rest near a well while His disciples went into the town to get something to eat. While resting, Jesus met a woman who needed “living water.” This woman, a Samaritan woman, came to the well and Jesus asked her to give Him a drink.

John 4:1-9 NKJV

“Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John
(though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.
But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.”

The woman was surprised that Jesus had spoken to her. The customs of the area prohibited public conversations between men and women who were strangers. The woman asked Him why He asked her, a Samaritan to give Him a drink. Jesus responded to her question by telling her that if she knew who He was she would have asked Him for a drink. Jesus continued to talk to the woman about living water.

 

John 4:10-15 NKJV

“Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”

After a period of time the woman asked Jesus to give her the water that He was talking about. At this point Jesus began to tell her about her life. Jesus challenged the woman to consider her own sinful condition by telling her to bring her husband to Him. Before the woman could believe in Jesus as the One who could give her living water she had to recognize that she was a sinner.

John 4:16-17 NKJV

“Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”

Thinking that Jesus was just a prophet she began to discuss worship to God with Him. As Jesus talked to her about God the woman realized who Jesus really was and she believed Him.

John 4:19-26 NKJV

“The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

She ran back to the city and began to tell everyone about Jesus. She asked them to come with her and she would show them the “man who knew everything I did.” Because the woman told people about Jesus, many of the people of the city went out to meet Jesus for themselves. When the people had listened to Jesus, they also believed Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior of the world.

John 4: 28-30 NKJV

“The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him.”

John 4: 39-41 NKJV

“And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word.”

Jesus Gives Living Water

When we receive salvation through Jesus it opens up the well of satisfaction to us.

 

Romans 3:23 NKJV

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

Everyone has sinned and is separated from God because of it. This separation causes us to have a “spiritual thirst” that only God can satisfy. We cannot change ourselves or satisfy our own thirst. We must be willing to admit that we are a sinner and that we need Jesus to give us “living water” (eternal life). Just like the Samaritan woman had to admit her sin in order to receive “living water”, so must we.

 

Romans 6:23 NKJV

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

John 3:16 NKJV

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

　

Dear Father,

Thank-you for Your Son, Jesus Christ. He is the source of living water.  Only You can quench my spiritual thirst. Only You can truly satisfy. Holy Spirit, search me and convict me of sin and bad habits, and help me to be quick to repent. Cause me to worship You, O Lord, in spirit and in truth. May my entire life ascribe worth to You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.